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Welcome to another edition of the Robigalia Roundup!
If you’re new here, Robigalia is your weekly roundup of the latest research, researchers, scholarships, and opportunities in plant pathology globally. Make sure you’re a subscriber to have these opportunities and events delivered directly to your inbox every Monday.
NOTES FROM THE HOST
Hello {{first_name | Robigalia readers}},
I’m back in Sydney after 3 weeks in Europe!
During our time in Mogliano Veneto, I realised we were only a half-hour drive from the world’s oldest Botanic Garden. Working full-time at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, I naturally had to check it out.
Established in 1545, the Orto Botanico di Padova, located at the University of Padua, has been used to grow medicinal plants and assist students in identifying genuine medicinal plants.
Like many botanic gardens, they also conduct plant pathology research, utilising the living collections and the herbarium specimens.
Glasshouses at the Botanic Garden of Padua
Having worked on several Melaleuca species in my PhD, and now working on threatened plant species in New South Wales (some of which are under threat as a result of pathogens like Austropuccinia psidii and Phytophthora cinnamomi), I was happy to find the Australian tree section at Orto Botanico di Padova.
Melaleuca decora at Orto Botanico di Padova
Keeping on theme, I have shared a few recent studies below highlighting the use of herbarium material to answer important questions in plant pathology.
I’ll be back next week with some highlights of our hikes through Italy and Slovenia!
Also in this week’s edition:
I introduce a PhD student from the University of Florida
I list a new PhD scholarship in the UK and a job in Australia
Let’s dive in!
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Herbarium specimens for plant pathology
Daru et al., Unlocking historical plant interactions in herbarium collections
Donegan et al., Century-old herbarium specimen provides insights into Pierce’s disease of grapevines emergence in the Americas
Coomber et al., Evolution of Phytophthora infestans on its potato host since the Irish potato famine
RESEARCH STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Meet Ketsira Pierre
This week, I’m happy to introduce a PhD student from the University of Florida, Ketsira Pierre.
Coming from a Haitian family, Ketsira grew up surrounded by agriculture, eating tropical fruits like sugar apples, mangoes, sugar cane, and plantains grown by her family and neighbours. Despite this, she didn’t realise the importance of plant pathology until she began working as a garden assistant at the university.
Ketsira’s research focuses on alternative management of Bacterial Spot disease on tomatoes (BST) caused by Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. Perforans, a major threat to Florida’s tomato production. Her current project investigates the interaction between soil salinity and BST on tomatoes, both common abiotic and biotic stresses in the field.
allow yourself time and space to grow
Ketsira is incredibly proud of how her research will benefit growers and consumers alike, and her goal is to be an educational ally, helping farmers create programs to combat agricultural stresses or educate the public on agriculture.
Her advice to fellow students is: ”Allow yourself time and space to grow—before you know it, you’ll be an expert.”
When she’s not working, you’ll find Ketsira reading, pretending to be outdoorsy, and trying out new recipes!
Connect with Ketsira on LinkedIn to learn more about her research.
OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS
New plant pathology opportunities are listed below. For the full list of live opportunities and events, head to my Opportunities and Events Board using the buttons below.
New PhD/Master’s Scholarships
Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, Closes 8th October
New Jobs
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Plant Pathology, The University of Tasmania, Closes 19th October
New Events
Other
The Italian Association for Plant Protection (AIPP) and Giornate Fitopatologiche (GF) are announcing a public selection process to award three €1,000 prizes for the best doctoral theses in the field of sustainable crop protection.
MEME OF THE WEEK
Has this happened to you as well 🙈?
If so, what song were you jamming to?
— #The Struggling Scientists Podcast (#@TheStrugglingS4)
2:03 PM • Sep 10, 2025
THAT’S A WRAP
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See you next Monday
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P.S. Why Robigalia? The name originates from the Ancient Roman festival dedicated to crop protection. You can read all about the history here: